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SACRAMENTO–

There’s been some sitting and watching TV, but mostly Hunter Kilbourn of Martinez is doing a lot of resting peacefully one day after more surgery to repair what two pit bulls ripped away.

So far, UC Davis plastic surgeon David Sahar has done all the reconstructive work needed to put Hunter’s life and look back together.

Hunter’s mom describes some of what went wrong when two pet pit bulls attacked her child at a friend’s house in Antioch.

“From here to here across his face was torn off and half of his ear was torn off. And from here to here was wide open where I could see down into his head,” said Melody Ralls of Martinez as she gestured toward the left and right sides of her face.

“My heart just dropped … I said oh my God, no parent should have to see their child like that,” she said.

Having faced all that the dogs took from Hunter in the operating room, Doctor Sahar is speaking out for the first time.

Though Hunter looks like he’s wearing a helmet, it’s really a compression dressing hugging newly grafted skin from his groin.

“By putting some pressure on it … prevents formation of fluid under the skin graft which could increase risk of failure,” said Sahar.

It’s too early to tell, but the attack could have jeopardized the facial muscles and nerves that make the 10-year-old’s sunny smile.

But there’s some good news, even if there is damage.

“There is some regenerative capacity to peripheral nerves, as opposed to the central nervous system which doesn’t have that capacity,” said Sahar.

A few frightening minutes left him torn and frightened, and it make take years to erase it all, but UC Davis is standing behind Hunter.

“He’s a wonderful little kid and hopefully we’ll get him back to where he needs to be as soon as possible,” said Sahar.

Doctor Sahar says Hunter should be well enough to leave this hospital in about five days.

With this attack, all the sides of the pit bull debate are engaged.

Doctor Sahar has very definite opinions about the breed, saying extreme caution should be taken when the dogs are near children.

4 comments

ThomasMcCart

75% of all Animal Shelters in the US will euthanize all pit bulls, pit crosses or any dogs that even looks like one immediately with no attempt to adopt them out.

The other 25% will also euthanize within a few days to a week if adoption doesn't take place.

Why is this?, because nobody wants any of the evil disgusting Mutants, they can't give them away, that is why 93% of all Pitts in Animal Shelters in the US are killed , over 1.1 Million Pit Bulls every year are killed in this manner every year after year after year after year in the US alone.

Over 100 a day are killed in animal shelters in LA county alone, 73,000 a year after year after year after year.

That is over 12 million pit bulls killed in Animal Shelters in the US in the last decade alone.

The Idiot Pit Nutters who are playing their rescue game are losers and losing the battle as the few hundred they save is a pittance compared to the Million plus killed the same year.

They show their support for these mutants by fighting against laws against their breeding that could prevent this as a result much needed mass slaughter of pit bulls, they are responsible for all of this and show their ignorance and hypocrisy by continuing fight against what is actually in the best interests of this perverted breed.

That's 2,750 a day or 345 every hour, right this moment somewhere in the US a pit bull will rip, ravage and maul no more and instead is feeling the loving sting of death, oh what a lovely truth and reality that no pit loving pervert can deny or combat, how does that feel pit nutters……Now the pit bull will find it's true forever home, the deep dark forever night, all that it warrants or deserves, bye bye mutant and don't come back!

ThomasMcCart

I am in full support of banning this vicious breed. This past weekend my brother’s small dog had her face torn off in an unprovoked attack in Chicago.

The nature-versus-nurture debate does not apply to these animals. I’m positive the downtown lawyer that owned the dog was not training him to be a fighting dog. Replace “small dog” with “his two-yea.

r-old daughter” and perhaps this might hit home for any moron suggesting these animals are a peaceful breed.

I’m still sick at the thought that it could have been my niece. What is worse is that the dog is still alive and is only required to wear a muzzle moving forward. What a disgusting response to an unprovoked and vicious attack.

Why do we need to wait until humans have been mauled and mutilated before we put down these animals?

Pit bulls are no more misunderstood than grizzly bears or serial killers. Justifying an attack in any way is senseless and offensive. These animals are unstable.

manny

It is all about genetics and selective breedings. 50 years ago there were not all these pit bull attacks. Poor breeding practices by backyard breeders. Go to a UKC show and you will see plenty pit bulls that are not human aggressive and have solid temperament. It is not by chance it is by selective breeding. Ehen everyone and there motheris breeding this strong breed you end having seious issues. So its not about the owner or how they were raised or the breed in general its about how they are bred. If you want a pit do your homework and find a breeder that does temperament testing. Look for parents that have multiple dogs in the pedigree temperaments testing. I could not find the whole study I seen that discussed this but here is a small portion .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEOjlsUd7j8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

SophieCarirns

We pull and ban high chairs if they pinch half a dozen children, but when you have a killing machine that attacks and maims and kills 100s of children every year we won't do anything because it has fur, 4 legs and wags a tail. Why is this? Do we value dogs bred for over 200 years to attack and kill more than our children???? Apparently we do.. Why is it that dog fighters CHOOSE this kind of dog and not poodles or retrievers? There IS a reason…. and society just doesn't want to look at it.